


The Punisher's Help

by Scarlet_Avenger (Lady_Lightning)



Series: Littleverse [8]
Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Caregiver! Foggy, Caregiver! Frank, Little!Matt, Littleverse, Neutral! Karen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 08:23:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21250361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lightning/pseuds/Scarlet_Avenger
Summary: Frank happens after Matt Murdock in need, except it might not be Matt Murdock he ran into.  Apparently, our Little Devil is a lot more Little than Frank knew, and Matty is the one in need of his assistance. Turns out, Matt and Foggy are a lot more complicated than he ever thought and Foggy might need his help too.





	The Punisher's Help

**Author's Note:**

> College is kicking my ass a bit, and not the work. My personal life has taken a bit of a hit but while it felt cold, this made me feel warm again. So, I gift it to you in hopes that it raises your spirits- I hope that at least you readers have someone, if not more than one person like this in your life.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Matt was out on his nightly Daredevil patrol with a scowl on his face. His headspace had been pushing him lately but Foggy, who normally watched him as he was not technically Matt’s caregiver- Matt didn’t have one(Foggy was confused about how he didn’t)- hadn’t been asked to watch Little Matty. 

Foggy normally watched him while he was in headspace but after the bombings Matt and Foggy were rocky and Matt hadn’t asked Foggy to babysit. Now though, Matt was feeling how his decisions were going slightly wrong.

Matt, however, didn’t want to stay home and slip, so he went out. Patrolling was helping pretty good- then he ran into Punisher again. He’d been bumping into this man a lot, trying to convince him not to kill, to find a way where justice can be served and people can be given the opportunity to change. 

Matt acknowledged that his way wasn’t permanent- but it gave people chances to change, to help make the world better and to be productive citizens. Not to mention that killing was wrong, Matt didn’t agree that anyone could kill and generally, he even disagreed with the death penalty. Hell Matt did everything he could to keep Frank from the death penalty.

Punisher stood there on the rooftop, just looking at the stars but he did glance over when he heard Matt land on the rooftop. He looked at Matt briefly before looking back to the stars, taking a swig of beer that he had in his hands. He’d been drinking alone up on the roof all night, and he had enjoyed himself- now Red was standing on his rooftop and he had a sneaking suspicion that ‘Daredevil’ was about to ruin his night.

“Drinking alone?” Matt stated instead of asking. “Just beer,”

Frank didn’t respond, he didn’t even look at Daredevil. Red just kept on talking and soon enough Frank didn’t want to deal with Red, especially if he was feeling this chatty. “What do you want from me, Red?” he asked harshly. 

It seemed to work and he went dead silent- but didn’t respond. Frank waited but when he didn’t respond he turned to look at where he thought Daredevil was standing. He watched as Red started to back away, sniffling before turning and launching himself off the building- disappearing before Frank could realize what happened. He went back to his beer with knit brows, wondering what was wrong with the Devil.

\---

After Matt’s failure to speak with Frank, he decided to walk around Hell’s kitchen and ended up stopping for food along the way. His head was still cloudy and he was miserable. Eating only worsened the fogginess and he ended up spilling his udon. He cleaned it up and stormed out, still grumpy and feeling cloudy. We wandered and eventually the fogginess started to clear and he looked around curiously, sensing every little thing as it lit up the world in brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges.

Unfortunately for him, he kept tripping as he walked. He didn’t walk a lot, thankfully nobody was around to see him but he eventually took a pretty hard tumble, scraping his hands and knees feeling them sting as he started to bleed. Man, that hurt! He sat on the ground in the alley, sniffling as tears worked their way into his eyes.

Soon enough he couldn’t control the small sobs coming out of his mouth as his hands and knees stinging from the new cuts. He’s had way worse- he wasn’t sure why this would make him cry but it did. As he started to work himself into a state, someone’s hand landed on his shoulder, startling him.

\---

Frank decided soon after finishing his beer to go look for Red and see what was going on. Red disappeared without a trace, and Frank had no clue how to locate him. He let out a sigh as walked around Hell’s Kitchen. He knew the Devil only patrolled the Kitchen, and typically stayed on the roofs to observe and listen but he had the feeling that even if he looked, Red was going to stay out of his sights. 

He kept his pace slow as he made his way around the Kitchen, watching as the few people that were out walked around with their friends and loved ones. He walked for a while before turning and heading back toward his apartment. He couldn’t wait to get home and get some sleep, maybe the feeling in his chest would go away enough for him to get some sleep.

As he was walking, a funny noise hit his ears. Sniffling paired with hiccups and little sobs were coming from the alley to his right. He turned on his heels, looking into the dark alley- squinting his eyes before he entered the dark walkway wearily. Just past the dumpster, hiding away, was a young man, sitting on the ground with his legs out in front of him, crying his eyes out.

On closer inspection, he recognized the face as Matthew Murdock, his old lawyer. He seemed upset, sobs escaping his mouth as tears leaked from the eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. His walking cane was a few feet away, and his hands were scraped up, bleeding a hefty amount. He wondered how Murdock got around without falling half the time- he normally seemed to get around really well for a blind man.

Why was Murdock crying, though? And in an alley, no less? “Murdock?” Frank asked as he approached, putting a hand on his shoulder. He startled, head whipping up to face Frank’s even as he moved to kneel in front of the man. “What are you doing?”

Frank was starting to have suspicions about why Matthew was acting this way. The man was pretty small, and his face held a good about of what Frank would assume is baby fat. Murdock could be a Little- but where was his Caregiver?

“Where’s your Caregiver?” Frank asked as the clearly Little boy after noticing his lack of answer to his first question. He knew that the Nelson lawyer was a Caregiver- wasn’t he Matthew’s? Why would- what’d they call him? Foggy? Why would Foggy let Matthew walk around late at night without him?

“None.” Was all Matthew sniffled, resuming his sobbing, hands wiping the tears on his face away. Frank noticed that he was more of scrubbing at them- like he was mad they were there in the first place.

“What do you mean none? Where’s Foggy?” Frank asked again. “Isn’t he your Caregiver?”

“No,” Matt whispered as he looked to the ground. His hands still stung and he let out a loud wail- making Frank flinch before moving into action. “Alright, champ, let’s get out of here. It’s late and you are clearly tired,”

“No!” Matty yelled, kicking at Frank’s feet, with his own, trying to keep the man away. 

Frank chuckled- this reminded him of his kids when they were much younger. He sort of missed the baby and toddler years- they were much easier to figure out than older kids and teens. He moved fast and scooped Murdock up, lifting him by his underarms and settling the boy on his hip. Murdock did nothing but squirm and sob but thankfully the walk back to Frank’s apartment was short.

\---

Frank walked into the apartment and headed for the bathroom. He set the Little on the ground as he pulled out the first aid kit, ready to clean the boy’s hands. Murdock, however, had other plans and had tried to run for it but ended up falling face-first onto the floor. He didn’t seem to have good control over his legs and Frank took note. Matt seemed to be a really young Little.

He scooped the boy back up as he wailed about his fall and placed him down in front of where he sat, instantly set on cleaning the wounds on the boy’s hands. “How old are you, Matthew?” he asked, trying to distract the Little from the pain. When he took a peek at the boy’s face- there was a look in his eyes. The boy was weary but also didn’t really seem to be capable of answering. A very young Little, Frank thought. He must have been between headspaces practically the entire time.

After he got Matthew’s hands clean and wrapped with gauze, he sat back with a sigh. The Little just stared at him, still crying his eyes out. He had nothing to use to care for this Little. He could just get in contact with Karen or Foggy and pin Matthew on them- but one look at the teary-eyed Little as he chewed on his fingers had him thinking twice. Matthew hadn’t gone to Foggy when he dropped- or when he was close to dropping. There had to be a reason, and he wasn’t going to just push the Little into Foggy’s hands if he hadn’t gone to him in the first place.

He had to do something. He wasn’t sure how long Matthew would be in his Headspace for but he needed supplies to last him through the night and morning at the least. If Matthew was still solidly in headspace in the morning, he’d have to go get a few more supplies.

For now, he ran around to neighbors to inquire after supplies, and thankfully the neighbors were more than willing to help. People in the Kitchen take care of their own. Now, the only problem was to get the pouting Matty into a fresh diaper and some clothes, getting him a bottle and to bed.

Matthew was hard to work with, that was for sure. He cried, squirmed, kicked, wailed, basically anything he could’ve done to get away from it, he tried. Frank won in the end but Matthew really reminded him of some of the things his own kids had done when they were babies. Getting the kid to sleep was more than a little difficult.

The boy fussed, tossed, turned and whined, seemingly unable to get comfortable. It took Frank forever to get the boy into his grasp before he could walk around trying to lull the boy into sleep. It worked, only after about three hours and lots of pacing. When Frank went to put the boy down, he stirred. Frank heaved a sigh. Of course, Matthew wouldn’t let himself be laid down to sleep.

Frank settled in the armchair with a soft thud, getting comfortable as Matthew splayed out against his chest with a small sigh and sniffle. Frank was awake for a while, the clearness in his head and his heart light was a new and funny feeling, one he hadn’t known since his family was alive. He fell asleep with Mathew keeping him warm, leaning back in his recliner.

\---

When Frank woke up, Matthew wasn’t on his chest. He shot up, finding Matthew on the floor, playing with some newspapers that were lying on the coffee table from the day prior. Frank let out a laugh as he got up, ruffling Matthew’s hair as he moved to the kitchen to make some food.

Getting Matthew to eat was much easier when the boy wasn’t nearly as grumpy and tired. Frank just handed the bottle off to the boy when he walked back into the living room. Matthew had taken it eagerly, hands opening and closing in its direction until Frank was in reach to hand it over.

Frank ate his breakfast as he pondered what to do with Matthew. He wasn’t overly close to the man, especially the Little, he had no supplies and knew of people who could take better care of the Little than a damaged Caregiver could. Matthew was just so damned cute, though. Frank couldn’t seem to let go that easily.

It took a while for Matthew to finish his bottle but once he did, he was bursting with energy. Frank figured it was as good a time as any to take him out and get some supplies, he just hoped that Matthew would be alright with going out in public. Then again, he found the boy after he’d fallen, no doubt while walking around in public.

\---

Frank placed Matthew into the seat of the shopping cart, noticing how the boy wiggled, not wanting to be trapped somewhere he couldn’t play. He let out a whine, lifting his arms up to Frank. “Not now, Champ. We’re going to get you a few things.”

Half an hour later, with a pouty Little, Frank had a few more bottles, pacifiers, diapers and some clothes. He wandered into the toy aisle, hoping to find the Little a few toys. Bath toys made their way into the cart and then he let Matthew out of the cart, sitting him on the ground and holding his hands as Matthew made his way around to look at the toys. 

Matthew was a young Little, he wandered over to the blocks and stuffies and toy cars and anything he found interesting. Frank noticed that the boy’s eyes kept landing on a red fluffy and soft teddy bear. The boy was blind, Frank recalled, what was looking at the toys going to do? How the hell did the Little even play and move around if he couldn’t see?

Looked like it was time to call Foggy and see if he knew anything about Little Matthew. Frank scooped the boy up and placed him back into the cart, grabbed a few random toys, including the red bear and tossed them into the cart, making his way to check out. He got the boy settled into the car seat, tossed the bags into the back of his car and made his way back to the apartment.

\---

Matthew was settled onto a little playmat that Frank had managed to dig up from the things in an old storage locker that his family had used. It held a lot of the kid’s younger supplies that Frank and his deceased wife never had the heart to toss out.

He’d picked what he thought they’d need, cleaned everything up a bit and set everything up. Matthew was playing with the toys they’d bought happily as Frank walked into the kitchen to make a phone call. He glanced at Matthew every few minutes as the line connected and Karen answered the phone.

“Nelson and Murdock, how can I help you?”

“Karen,” Frank said, he listened as some shuffling came over the line before she spoke again.

“Frank?” She asked. “Frank, what do you need?”

“Put Nelson and Murdock on the phone,” Frank said patiently. 

“Foggy’s here, but Matt isn’t,” Karen told him as she transferred him over to Foggy’s office phone. 

“Nelson, here,” Foggy said as Frank listened to heels clicking on the floor. Karen had probably moved into Foggy’s office to listen in on the conversation. 

“Where’s Murdock?”

“He hasn’t been answering his phone. Frank is that you?”

“What do you think?” Frank replied. “What is Matthew like when he’s in Littlespace?” Frank asked. He heard a loud bang and a groan then Foggy’s voice over the phone again.

“You have him,” Foggy said. “And he’s in Littlespace.” Foggy sighed. “Matty functions like any little boy, you’d never be able to tell he’s blind. He’s always been that way. Tell me where you are and I’ll take him off your hands.”

“No, if he didn’t go to you in the first place, I’m not handing him over when he isn’t able to make that decision on his own. Just tell me what you know about him so I can make sure this kid gets taken care of.”

“He’s young, definitely needs diapers, pacifiers, and bottles, he never really had any toys, but he was a playful one in general. Loves hugs and is generally happy but tends to stick to his sitter’s side.”

“So he doesn’t have a caregiver, then?”

“No, not that I ever knew of. Matt used to ask me to babysit when he needed to go into headspace but never really settled with a caregiver. He was always the cutest little thing. He hasn’t asked me to babysit Matty in so long, and I’m not exactly sure why. Anyway, he’s a pretty easy Little once he’s comfortable. Oh, but there is something you need to know.” Foggy told him.

“What is it?”

“Because Matty is blind, his senses can get overwhelmed sometimes. Matt has silk sheets because cotton is rough on his skin, and there are a few things he has back in his apartment for when he’s in Littlespace. If you’d like I can pack his diaper bag and drop it off to you,”

“Sure, I’ll need all the help I can get,” Frank responded. He told Foggy where they can meet and then hung up. He walked back into the living room to find Matthew dozing off with his red teddy bear in hand. “How about a nap, Matty?” Frank asked as he lifted the boy up. Matthew snuggled close with a little sigh, bringing his fingers up to chew on.

Frank knew he bought pacifiers… where had he left them? He grabbed a few of the bags from the counter and made his way into the bedroom. He got Matthew into the softest clothes he’d bought hoping that the boy would be comfortable enough to sleep. He was out an hour later- snoring softly behind his paci. 

Frank moved to the playmat to lay Matthew on the ground, carefully placing the Little down for his nap. The transfer wasn’t the smoothest as Frank had to stop when the boy seemed like he would wake but he managed well enough. 

Matthew didn’t sleep long- waking with tear-filled, red-rimmed eyes. The boy just seemed so tired and Frank wasn’t sure how to get him to sleep with that look in his eyes. He lifted Matthew up when the boy raised his arms, noting how the boy made himself as small as possible, hiding away in Frank’s shoulder. 

“I got you,” Frank whispered, running a hand through Matthew’s greasy hair. He needed a bath desperately but with the grip Matt had on him, Frank could only guess that Matt wasn’t going to let him go anytime soon. 

Frank walked into the kitchen to get a bottle ready, hoping it would calm the boy enough to either get him back to sleep or to get Matt to let go enough to get him into a bath. Unfortunately, when the bottle was ready, Matt seemed completely uninterested in its existence.

Anytime Frank got it close to his mouth, Matt turned away with a whine. “C’mon Matty, I know you’re hungry. Just eat a little bit, please?” Frank spoke lightly, hoping that Matty would be reasonable. 

Matthew just looked at him with wide eyes, like his name was unexpected from Frank. Fairly, Frank never used his name, always calling him Red or Murdock (though Frank didn’t know that Matt and Daredevil were the same person). 

Frank just stared right back at Matty, not really understanding why Matty was staring at him with that little grin, but happy it was there all the same. Frank sends the boy a smile as he popped the bottle into his mouth. Matty let out a surprised whine but settled down to drink the offered milk anyway, holding the bottle happily. 

After a while, Matty started to get drowsy and Frank took control, holding the bottle for Matthew to finish. Frank knew the boy was tired, hell the kid was dozing off as Frank held him but Matt was fighting sleep with all his might. 

Maybe a nice warm bath would tire the boy out the rest of the way. It was worth a shot so Frank headed for the bathroom, flicking the light on as he walked in. 

Frank started the bath and poured in some apple scented bubble bath. Next, he turned to Matty and moved to get him undressed. Once Matt was ready, Frank placed him in the water, noticing how the boy started to play with the bubbles. 

Frank moves to scrub the boy down, finally getting a good look at Matt’s scarred skin. How had Matty gotten all of these? Some were new and there were cuts with stitches that would surely scar that were still red and bleeding a bit. Fresh cuts, bruises, and blood… how had Matthew come across them and why hadn’t Matty said anything? Surely he was hurting.

There was no way Frank was getting any answers with Matty this Little, the boy was about a year old- there wasn’t a way to get an answer he’d actually be able to understand until Murdock was back in control. He let out a sigh and got back to work, grabbing the shampoo to start washing the drowsy boy’s hair then sat back to let the kid play for a bit.

After Frank got Matty into some clothes he tried to lay Matty down for a nap but the boy absolutely refused to let Frank go. Frank tried everything- offered Matty warm soft, fuzzy blankets and the boy still refused, clinging to Frank with every fiber of his being. Frank couldn’t really be mad, it was really cute but Matty also needed to learn to take a nap without being a koala bear.

Frank had to put his foot down, make sure Matty knew that he needed to lay down for a nap and that Frank simply couldn’t hold him all the time. Matty needed to know that when he woke up, Frank would still be there, that sleeping without someone was perfectly fine. Unfortunately, with Matty’s grip, that day wasn’t going to be today. How the boy could have so much strength, Frank wasn’t sure but he took note and made sure he’d ask later.

\---

Foggy let out a sigh as he got together all of Matty’s things. Matt tended to keep them hidden, Foggy could see. That was a more recent development, apparently. The last time Foggy had known, Matt kept a lot of his Little things out in the open but since the building, nothing had been the same.

Foggy was a little depressed that Matt was having such a hard time. After everything they’d been through and sure Foggy was constantly mad at and worrying about Matt, Foggy had hoped that Matt wouldn’t have such trouble. Unfortunately, Fate seemed to absolutely despise Matt. 

This all started with Matt losing his vision and gaining his new senses, losing his dad, living in an orphanage… then he met Foggy. Foggy recalled that Matt had once told him that he was rainbows and soft, delicious and delicate smells and safety. Foggy wondered what he was to Matthew now. Not long after they’d met, Foggy got the chance to meet Matty and the boy was absolutely infectious. Foggy had a hard time not wanting Matty to come out and play after the first time he’d met the Little. 

Of course, he loved his best friend Matt too but Little Matty was just so special. After college, Foggy and Matt remained close and Foggy got to watch Little Matty often. They worked together, Foggy got to babysit and they were best friends. Then life had to go and throw a truck at Matthew and he got stuck with the battle of having the ability to do something to help people and wondering if he should.

Foggy, not understanding at the time was furious that Matt had decided to act. As much as it helped Matt to let his anger out on criminals, he did more good for the people of Hell’s Kitchen than he did for himself. The first months of Matt being The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen took a toll on him. Foggy hadn’t really asked when Matt started showing up with cuts and bruises. Never thought that it could be what it was.

When he found out, he wasn’t really sure what to think, not that he could think straight with the amount of anger he was feeling. He hadn’t really stopped to think about what it had done to Matt and Matty at the time. He hadn’t realized that Matt hadn’t been asking him to babysit due to the new scars and cuts and bruises he was gaining, and not the fact that they had opened a new practice and that Matt simply hadn’t had the time to be Little.

Now, three years later, and the world and fate still hated Matt. He did his best to help with his abilities and the world just didn’t seem to care. He’d almost died multiple times over the three years, but in the past year alone, Matt lost a priest, found out his mother was alive and he grew up knowing her but not knowing that she was his mom, he’d had a building fall on top of him, almost lost his abilities and had even lost Matty for a while.

Foggy was more than a little worried about what would happen to Matt next. Matty was back, Matt made sure to let Foggy know that, but Matt hadn’t once asked for Foggy to babysit. It had been so long, and Foggy had to admit that he was tense from not having the time to care for a Little like he had when Matt was around. Foggy didn’t have a Little of his own but had always wanted to talk with Matt about being his Caregiver. 

When push came to shove, though, Foggy hadn’t asked. He had shied away from asking, hoping he didn’t ruin what they both already had. He’d known Matt for years, taken care of Matty for just as long, and all he wanted to do was make sure that Matt was taken care of. He wanted Matt as his Little but how would Matt truly feel about that?

Foggy was going to have to ask Matt when he was big again. No more delays, no more worrying. Obviously, Matt was having some issues with their relationship, Foggy only hoped that asking Matt would show that Foggy truly cared, that he wasn’t mad, that he really loved Matt and wanted to make sure he was okay.

Foggy headed toward Frank’s location after he zipped the duffle closed. The walk was short in the cold, crisp October air. It’d start to snow soon- Matty would need a new winter coat and no doubt Matt needed one of his own. Foggy let out a sigh- even now, all he could think about was taking care of Matty. Foggy knew all of Matt and Matty’s needs, knew his personality like the back of his hand so he wasn’t sure why he thought he’d fuck everything up if he adopted Little Matty.

He arrived at an apartment building in no time, walking up to the apartment that Frank had specified with quick steps. It was weird that he was so excited to see Little Matty when things between Matt and he were so strained. Still, Foggy couldn’t help but smile as he knocked and was let into the apartment.

He wasn’t shocked to see Matty passed out against Frank’s shoulder- the boy absolutely hated falling asleep alone and hated waking up alone twice as much. The Little was plagued with nightmares and the only way Foggy had found that helped was constantly being close with someone as he slept. His heightened senses didn’t help with sneakily laying him down after he fell asleep, either. The boy always knew and always woke up to let Foggy know of his displeasure.

His eyes shined as they locked onto Matty’s face. The boy was sleeping with a green paci in his mouth, hands clenched into Frank’s shirt as little huffs of breath left his mouth. Foggy could tell by the breathing alone that Matty was starting to get sick. “You’re going to have a sick Little on your hands if you don’t get some medication in him,” Foggy told Frank as he set the duffle down.

He looked around, seeing a playmat and toys, clothes and groceries all over the place. Frank had gone on a shopping spree with Matty, then. Foggy let out a sigh as Frank spoke up. “How could you possibly know that?” he asked.

“I’ve taken care of Matty for years, I know the signs,” Foggy replied. “His breathing indicates that his nose is clogged, his hands are buried so far into your shirt which means he’s very uncomfortable and cold, and his face is pale. There’s even a little scowl on it, he doesn’t feel good. His senses are kicked into overdrive and his pain receptors are probably overwhelmed.”

“How do you get all that just by looking at the kid?” Frank asked. Foggy just shrugged and held his hands out, asking to take Matty. Frank, who had been holding the kid for at least two hours, instantly tried to hand him over, noticing how Matty relaxed a bit once Foggy’s hands were in contact with him.

The transfer went over smooth but Matty still woke up, looking at Frank and then looking to see who was holding him. Foggy gave Matty a smile as soon as Matty’s eyes landed on his own. Matty’s eyes started to tear as he looked at Foggy. The look on the Little’s face instantly had Frank raising an eyebrow- he didn’t need or want a crying baby again, it was always so heartbreaking each time Matty cried but Foggy just proceeded to calm the Little with ease.

“‘Urts, ‘Oggy!” Matty hiccuped sadly as he squirmed. 

“I know, Matty. I know it does, luckily I brought all your things- including your medicine.” Foggy could tell that Matty’s symptoms were similar to a cold so he took out Matty’s cold medicine, pouring out the right amount and held it out to Matty who looked at it and then to Foggy with teary eyes. Hopefully, a cold was all this was- Foggy didn’t want to worry about Matty getting a serious illness. “C’mon it’ll make you feel better,” Foggy encouraged.

Frank watched as the two interacted, seeing how Matty seemed so much more happy after Foggy had come even if he was crying. The two were a pair, Frank could tell. It made sense that the two worked so well together, they were partners, best friends and Foggy had been actively caring for Matty for a long time. Frank’s heart lifted a little at the sight of the two together like this.

Sure, Frank cared for Matty a lot but his heart swelled when he saw Matty and Foggy together. Every Caregiver was like that but Frank wouldn’t be admitting to anyone that he felt this way. Foggy had clearly missed his Little. Yes, there was no doubt that Matty was his Little. There may no be paperwork but the Little was so clearly Settled with this caregiver.

That had Frank wondering why they hadn’t gone through the paperwork and made everything official. He came out of his thoughts as he watched Foggy put the spoon of cold syrup into Matty’s mouth. The Little obviously didn’t like the taste but Foggy instantly pulled out a piece of chocolate to ease the nasty flavor, which Matty accepted with a happy hum as he snuggled closer to Foggy, eyes closing with a happy sigh. 

Foggy walked over to the duffle and pulled out a red blanket, a translucent red pacifier, and a red bear. Frank scoffed, no wonder the kid had constantly looked at the red bear in the store, he had wanted his bear and didn’t have it. 

Matty lit up at the sight of his favorite bear and paci as Foggy covered him with the red and black fuzzy blanket. Matty was asleep in no time, Foggy patting his back in a calming rhythm as he paced the living room. “That’s the fastest I’ve seen him fall asleep since I wandered into him last night,” Frank told Foggy.

“I’m not surprised,” Foggy admitted. “Matty has a hard time sleeping with all the sensations constantly overwhelming his heightened senses. He has a hard time getting comfortable without his silk clothes and soft blankets,”

“Heightened senses? Murdock is blind but he gets around without that stick of his just fine... How?” Frank asked, crossing his arms. This blind kid got around far too easily for someone missing their sight. It was like he could actually see everything and navigate around it. 

“Matty didn’t tell you?” Foggy asked, a little surprised.

“What didn’t Matty tell me?”

“Matt is Daredevil,” Foggy told him simply. “I’m surprised he didn’t tell you, he goes to you for help all the time,”

“How the hell is Murdock Daredevil? I knew he was good at moving around but not that good!”

“The only reason I told you is because you’ll need the knowledge if you’re going to be watching over him until he’s big again. He’s got the hearing of a bat, his skin is sensitive, his sense of smell and taste are like something I’ve never seen before. He can taste copper in the air and know if someone is bleeding because of it, he can hear bones shift which lets him know if anything is broken. Hell, he can tell if you’re lying by listening to your heartbeat. He can smell what you’ve eaten the past two days and tell how long it’s been since you showered. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever fucking seen.” Foggy told him. 

“That’s ridiculous!” Frank exclaimed. 

“All that stimulation for Little Matty is twice as overwhelming than it is for Matt. There are some days Matt is so overwhelmed that he can’t get out of bed. I don’t see how he actually lives with his senses let alone seeing nothing but fire all the time.”

“What do you mean he sees fire all the time? He’s blind!”

“Matt was blinded at 9 because of a car accident that got chemicals in his eyes. It took his sight at first and gave him his heightened senses but eventually, he could see again… only a world on fire. He never told anyone- and I can see why. Telling someone that you can see after being blinded and put into the system as legally blind- and mentioning that you can only see fire would’ve made him seem crazy. It’s got to be agonizing to see everyone and everything he cares for just burning.”

“Jeez, this kid’s got a thousand problems,” Frank said with a sigh. 

“Fate hasn’t been kind to Matt. It basically told him to fuck off and threw a bus at him. It hasn’t stopped either. Matt just keeps getting new problems to deal with. It’s so unfair- he deserves happiness just like everyone else,” Foggy told Frank, squeezing Matt closer and getting a pleased hum from the sleeping Little. 

Frank thought for a moment. He didn’t want to give up on this Little but knowing all this… he clearly wasn’t the right fit for the Little when it came to a permanent Caregiver. Maybe handing Matthew off to Foggy would be for the best. Honestly, looking at Matty right now, with how tightly he was hanging onto Foggy- there was no way that the Little wouldn’t be happy going with Foggy. But just to be sure…

“Why haven’t you adopted him, yet?” Frank asked. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask for the longest time but he always seemed so pleased with our arrangements. I didn’t want to mess it up because babysitting Matty is better than nothing at all but I plan to ask him when he’s big again. After everything, he needs to know that I love him just the same and that nothing has changed for me.”

Frank nodded. That made sense… Foggy did seem to be more of the shy type with certain topics and he was overprotective of Matt no matter what headspace he was in. “I think that you should take him back home,” Frank told Foggy. “After everything you've told me, you know this Little backward and forward. He’s going to need that. If you ever need a sitter, I’m here, though.”

Foggy just nodded. “Matty seems to really like you,” Foggy told Frank. “If you want to come to visit you’re more than welcome. I haven’t seen Little Matty so at ease around new people in so long.”

It was Frank’s turn to nod, and he did so with a slight smile. “I’ll be around,” Frank assured. “Let me get some of the things we got him packed up and I can help you bring them back to your place or his,” Frank told him. 

He packed all of Marty’s new things and threw the duffle over his shoulder, watching as Foggy grabbed the duffle he’d brought. Matty just whined at the movement, but Foggy just shushed him with a small kiss to the forehead. 

\---

Foggy opened the door to the apartment, letting Frank walk in first before he carried Matt into the room. Foggy would have to call Karen and let her know that Matty would be joining them at the office tomorrow but for now, he was going to get everything set up and his Little boy settled. 

Frank helped with the setup, even put up Matty’s old playmat that Foggy had asked him to grab from the closet. Frank looked around with a content sigh when everything was set up. Foggy’s apartment was fit for a Little but more specifically it was fit for Matty. There were so many toys and bits that screamed Matty and even Big Matt. It was touching to see and every moment Frank saw Foggy and Matty interact melted his heart a bit. 

Being an Uncle to Matty would be more than enough for him- he wasn’t sure he could ever be ready for parenthood again after losing his own babies. But babysitting Matty would be fun if Foggy ever needed or wanted him to do it. Foggy was shaking a bottle with Matty on his hip when Frank glanced around. “I’m going to head out for the night. Let me know if you ever need someone to watch him,” Frank told Foggy with a wave.

“Alright! Thanks, Frank,” Foggy said with a nod and smile. “For everything,”

Foggy popped the bottle into Matty’s mouth, noticing the content sigh Matty gave when he began to drink. The kid was dozing but he’d already had his early nap from what Frank had told him. He needed to keep the boy awake for a few more hours before letting him sleep again or he wouldn’t sleep properly later tonight.

Matty was barely able to finish the bottle without falling asleep but Foggy instantly set him up with some toys and Matty’s favorite music, it always woke him right up- making him too happy and excited to sleep. 

Matt instantly went into play mode- bouncing about on his butt as he grabbed at his favorite toys and babbled along to his music. Foggy let out a snort and went into his pocket for his phone. A few rings later and the line connected, Karen’s voice coming through.

“Hello? Foggy?”

“Hey, Karen.”

“What’s up? Are you coming back to the office today?”

“No, I’ve got Matty getting settled at my apartment. I’ll be in with him tomorrow, though. He’s so deep that it’ll be a few days before he’s even close to surfacing and Frank let me take him off his hands.”

“Probably because of how good you are with him,” Karen replied.

“No doubt,” Foggy responded. “It’s time, Karen. When he surfaces again I’m going to ask him. Maybe that’ll show him there’s no reason to keep running off and refusing to let me help when he really wants it.”

“That’s great Foggy! I’m happy for you! You’re great with Matt all around and we both know he wants this.”

“Now all he’ll have to do is accept my offer,” Foggy said with a sigh. “Well I’ve got to keep him awake for a couple of hours and there’s not much to do at the office so how about we meet at the Little’s park for a bit?”

“Sure, I’ll just finish up here and close for the day and head to the park to meet you,” Karen said before hanging up. Foggy turned his attention to Matty for a moment- smiling as Matty played. He grabbed the duffle bag and rummaged through it, taking things out that he wouldn’t need and adding things he might.

Once he was packed- making sure he had Matty’s favorite outdoor toys, he approached the Little. “How about some playtime at the park, Matty?” Matty nodded and lifted his arms as Foggy placed his hands under his arms to lift him.

Foggy brought Matty into the spare bedroom he had and went to the dresser of clothes. Matt had always refused to let Foggy make him a nursery but when Foggy had a makeshift one put together Matty hadn’t objected. It was equipped with a playmat that Matty took naps on and a dresser with clothes and a changing pad for when Foggy had to get the silly baby dressed.

Foggy grabbed some of Matty’s outdoor play clothes, a onesie, and a pair of sneakers then headed toward the changing pad. An outfit of overalls and a red long-sleeved shirt over the onesie and his sneakers and the baby was ready to go. Matt never really liked shoes- he always suffered through wearing them and Little Matty disliked them even more but when going in public, Foggy absolutely refused to let him go without.

New York was a dangerous place and there was glass littering the streets half the time. He wasn’t going to let Matty walk around bare-foot even if it made his baby scowl at him. He could live with it- it was adorable anyway.

With Matty’s fall play clothes on, Foggy grabbed an extra sweatshirt and stuffed it into the duffle. With everything packed, Foggy grabbed the bag and lifted Matthew onto his hip and walked out of his apartment.

\---

The walk to the park was quick but refreshing. Foggy could see his and Matty’s breath in the cool crisp air. Foggy set Matty down when they entered the park, setting the duffle by a picnic table as he helped Matty walk over to the play equipment. He kept an eye on the duffle- it was Hell’s Kitchen after all but otherwise helped Matty go down some slides and up the equipment.

Karen approached a few minutes later and Foggy decided to let Matty settle down with his toys by the picnic table. Foggy laid out Matty’s quilt and set him down on the blanket before moving to get his toys. Matty started to sniffle, not liking that he’d been taken away from the play equipment but before he could start to cry his favorite toys were in front of him and Foggy was holding his paci out for him to take.

Instead of taking the paci with his hand, Matty leaned forward and pulled it into his mouth. Foggy snorted in laughter and Karen giggled along as well. Matty instantly grabbed his red bear, settling it in his lap as he went to grab some blocks and cars to play with. He stayed on his quilt the entire time, not once leaving its parameters.

Foggy would glance over from time to time as he enjoyed conversation with Karen but never actually worried about Matty wandering off or even leaving his blanket. Foggy held a pleasant conversation with Karen, only pausing when he felt a tug on his pant leg.

Looking down, Matty was sitting by his leg, half in tears. He lifted Matty into his lap and noticed as the tension instantly started to seep away from the Little boy. Matty was always a clingy Little, preferring to sit in the lap of someone that was around him constantly than be alone and playing. 

Foggy had wanted to give the Little his space because after so long he wasn’t sure how Matt would be pushing his headspace, not sure of how he’d be affecting Matty’s normal personality. He wasn’t even sure what age-range Matty would fall anymore. Fortunately, Foggy was still prepared even when Matt’s usual age-range dropped. Instead of being around eighteen months he was now closer to twelve.

Matty, however much smaller(and less chatty) practically acted the same just at a smaller age-range. Matt must have just given in to Matty and let him take full control, letting the baby decide on how far to sink.

Foggy just huddled Matty closer, letting the boy calm himself with his presence. Soon enough Matty was fidgeting uncomfortably. Foggy let out a sigh and leaned over to grab Matty’s abandoned bear from the blanket. He pressed it into Matty’s lap, waiting for the boy to latch onto it.

Matty did instantly, leaning into Foggy as he let out a content sigh, bringing his fingers up to occupy his mouth. Foggy raced to beat him with Matty’s red pacifier. Foggy had confiscated it not five minutes ago when Matty dropped it onto the quilt without noticing. Matt gave a startled hum and accepted it gratefully, hiding his face in Foggy’s neck.

“I think it’s about time I get someone home and down for a nap,” Foggy announced, sending Karen a smile and nod. She returned the gesture with a smile of her own and a hug when both were standing, Matty on Foggy’s hip. 

“I’ll see you two at the office tomorrow,” Karen said politely as she turned to walk away, her heels clicking against the sidewalk.

Foggy grabbed the duffle as Matty leaned his head against his shoulder and started to head home. It was close to three, close to Matty’s afternoon nap time and if he didn’t get laid down on time the boy would be impossibly cranky.

\---

Matty woke up slowly, blinking his eyes as the sleepiness drained away. He was on the playmat in the spare room that Foggy insisted be turned into a full nursery. He let out a content sigh, lifting his hand to his mouth. 

He wasn’t sure where his paci had gone but his hand would do until Foggy came to get him. He looked around the room and there were plenty of boxes around but he was a little too Little to really figure out all the contents even with his senses.

His stomach was getting rumbly, he knew it was close to dinner and it always really hurt when he was hungry. Tears started to prick at his eyes and he remembered that he’d woken up alone. He hated waking up alone! He hated being so overwhelmed especially when he’d been perfectly fine just a minute ago!

“‘O-oggy!” Matty called out tearfully, tired of waiting. When Foggy didn’t walk through the door or even seem to start heading for the room, Matty called out again. “‘Oggy! ‘Oggy!” He was crying pretty hard now and couldn’t really tell if Foggy had started for the spare room, his brain to overwhelmed. “Da’ie!!” he cried out in a panic before he felt himself being lifted up.

He peeked an eye open as his tears slipped out when he felt Foggy tense. He made eye contact through his tears in just enough time to see Foggy smile a bit as he squeezed him just a little tighter. Matty was instantly calmer, his wails no more than sniffles.

“Hey, baby. Why are we so upset?” Foggy asked, voice soft.

Matty just hid his face, knowing Daddy would know what it meant. He just wanted to be held right now. He pressed as close as he could and sighed a little when he heard vibrations in Foggy’s chest and a small chuckle in his ear. He brought his hand to his mouth to chew on and Foggy sighed.

“I know you’re hungry, buddy.” Foggy started, pulling Matty's hand from his mouth, “Let’s get you something to eat,” Matty gave a content hum as Foggy carried him from the room. ‘Things just got a lot more complicated,’ Foggy thought as he headed for the kitchen.

**Author's Note:**

> See you soon! ;)


End file.
